Who Has the Better Coach: Iowa or Iowa State?

[Tierney]

The pros are eyeing the Iowa State coach. The only time the pros eyed Ferentz was when he wanted a new contract. The Iowa State coach has done a great job at Iowa state. I thought they would probably beat Iowa this past year, but they came out slow offensively. It will be interesting to see what happens next year.

 

[DJI9424]

I'll answer your question in this manner: If you asked 100 knowledgeable fan bases, who would you prefer to be your coach, Kirk Ferentz or Matt Campbell, my expectation would be Matt Campbell would be the majority's preference. Campbell's value is clearly rising whereas Ferentz keeps plodding along - nothing to get the fan base genuinely excited for the future but overall respectable, in many ways.

If Campbell stays at Iowa State, I fully expect him to best Ferentz in essentially all meaningful categories because he's focused on making his own mark in the college football arena whereas Ferentz will be in transition, i.e. establishing his son as the next HC at Iowa. As such, Ferentz is going to be placing more of the spotlight on Brian, trying to make the case that he is ready to take the reins, however that experiment is fraught with risk. Given what I believe I know about Ferentz, he's not going to be placing any undue risk on failing to make that transition, it's going to be set up just like one of his traditional running plays - nothing fancy, just (hopefully) well executed.

Therefore, if you are looking to follow exciting football, I would be inclined to select Matt Campbell as coach because the last few remaining years of the Ferentz era will be pretty much the same vanilla version we have seen for years. It will be done in a respectable manner but nothing to get truly excited about watching.

 

[westender]

Campbell just won the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the second year in a row, and he's only been coaching there for 3 years. Here is what he took over:

2013: 3-9
2014: 2-10
2015: 3-9
2016: 3-9 (Campbell's first year)

Obviously, he took over one of the 5 worst programs in college football with the worst recruiting base and facilities in the Big 12, and managed to recruit stud WRs/RBs/QBs and win 8 games this year. They aren't great, but they had huge wins over top 10 ranked opponents in each of the past 3 years.

Ferentz, on the other hand, had the Hawks ranked for a portion of this year and had some good blow out wins against lesser teams. He is the longest tenured coach in college football and coached Iowa to its 4th year in a row with 8 or more wins. He struggles at bringing in flashy skill position players, but his defenses are always top 20, and he puts OL and TE in the NFL.

When it comes down to it, who is the best coach in Iowa? Neither coach recruits top 25 classes, so who does more with less? Honest question. But I'll predict before I "hit" post that by virtue of asking this very basic question some hillbilly on this board will accuse me of being a "cyclone lover."

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/...-matt-campbell-iowa-state-coach-year-20181128

You may want to consider that Kirk is 3 - 0 against wonder boy. I'd say it stops right there.

 

[HawksMN]

Campbell is hungry.
Ferentz is F, D, and H

 

[lightning1]

ISU wasn't the worst 5 programs in a power 5 conference when Campbell took over. Do you secretly want Matt Campbell as Iowa's coach?

He's a Clown fan! Why isn't this obvious to everyone?

 

[lightning1]

When it comes down to it, who is the best coach in Iowa? Neither coach recruits top 25 classes, so who does more with less? Honest question. But I'll predict before I "hit" post that by virtue of asking this very basic question some hillbilly on this board will accuse me of being a "cyclone lover."

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/...-matt-campbell-iowa-state-coach-year-20181128[/QUOTE]
That's because you ARE a Clown lover. Anyone that doesn't know it....probably is a hillbilly. From the western edge of Iowa.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Campbell just won the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the second year in a row, and he's only been coaching there for 3 years. Here is what he took over:

2013: 3-9
2014: 2-10
2015: 3-9
2016: 3-9 (Campbell's first year)

Obviously, he took over one of the 5 worst programs in college football with the worst recruiting base and facilities in the Big 12, and managed to recruit stud WRs/RBs/QBs and win 8 games this year. They aren't great, but they had huge wins over top 10 ranked opponents in each of the past 3 years.

Ferentz, on the other hand, had the Hawks ranked for a portion of this year and had some good blow out wins against lesser teams. He is the longest tenured coach in college football and coached Iowa to its 4th year in a row with 8 or more wins. He struggles at bringing in flashy skill position players, but his defenses are always top 20, and he puts OL and TE in the NFL.

When it comes down to it, who is the best coach in Iowa? Neither coach recruits top 25 classes, so who does more with less? Honest question. But I'll predict before I "hit" post that by virtue of asking this very basic question some hillbilly on this board will accuse me of being a "cyclone lover."

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/...-matt-campbell-iowa-state-coach-year-20181128

Wuut? You do know that Iowa St has some of the most highly regarded facilities now in the Big 12, don't you. They are not down anymore now in that area. That's just throwing spew out.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

The same reasons Wisconsin doesn't land top 20 classes every year. Name power, geographic location, offense, culture, academics, take your pick. Iowa has not ever and will never consistently land top 20 classes. The only way they could is if they have an extended run of dominance similar to Nebby's "tradition", but even they are losing that gradually.

And Wisconsin doesn't even have another P5 team in the state to compete with. Iowa has Iowa St. and UNI.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Campbell is hungry.
Ferentz is F, D, and H

Not getting it.

 

[JoeyLabasForPresident]

Helps when I'm currently writing my own lol

What are you studying?

 

[1hawkeye1]

I would say each program has the HC that is right for them. Why does one have to be better than the other?

 

[JoeyLabasForPresident]

I would say each program has the HC that is right for them. Why does one have to be better than the other?

Because one is 3-0 against the other

 

[Cydkar]

Because one is 3-0 against the other

You do understand that their head-to-head series didn't exactly start on equal footing.

 

[earlkoppelman]

Matt Campbell is exponentially better “game coach”. Probably way better recruiter. KF has hung his hat, however, on player development. We are best in nation here

Correct! But does that get us wins? Hesse plays, someone off o-line ect ect.Hooker be good.Others also. BUT wins here? 9wins These days "lightning in bottle" Lucky NFL..

 

[JoeyLabasForPresident]

You do understand that their head-to-head series didn't exactly start on equal footing.

You do understand regardless of where two coaches start, one cannot possibly be “better” than another coach that they play every year until they can beat the other coach, right? Harbaugh’s Michigan was in a much worse place before he started that OSU was at the time, but Harbaugh can’t possibly be better than Urban Meyer when he’s 0-4 against him.

 

[lightning1]

You do understand that their head-to-head series didn't exactly start on equal footing.

What? Paul Rhodes had the ISU program trending up. He had drastically improved recruiting. He just needed a few breaks and better officiating. Trust me on this. I heard it all from Chris Williams - voice of Clownfanatic and expert on all things Cyclone. And I heard that every year during PR's tenure.
Who are we supposed to believe? You or Chris Williams?

 

[IowaLawWasRight]

Brian's logic appears much like that of his namesake.

To judge a young coach 3 years into rebuilding a doormat program (while stuck with the previous coach's players) based on his head to head record against a long established coach at a historic program who has been there for 20 years defies all common sense. That's like saying Ron Turner from Illinois is a better coach than Ferentz because he was 2-0 against Ferentz in 1999 and 2000. Same with Western Michigan's coach (a guy named Gary Darnell), clearly better than Kirk and destined for the hall of fame solely because his Broncos beat up on Kirk in 2000.

The fact is, Vince Lombardi could have coached Iowa in 1999 or Iowa State in 2016 and still would have lost 8 games. That has no bearing on his merit as a coach.

But hey, Scott Frost is 0-1 against Troy...clearly Troy's got the better coach.

Because one is 3-0 against the other

 

[JoeyLabasForPresident]

Brian's logic appears much like that of his namesake.

To judge a young coach 3 years into rebuilding a doormat program (while stuck with the previous coach's players) based on his head to head record against a long established coach at a historic program who has been there for 20 years defies all common sense. That's like saying Ron Turner from Illinois is a better coach than Ferentz because he was 2-0 against Ferentz in 1999 and 2000. Same with Western Michigan's coach (a guy named Gary Darnell), clearly better than Kirk and destined for the hall of fame solely because his Broncos beat up on Kirk in 2000.

The fact is, Vince Lombardi could have coached Iowa in 1999 or Iowa State in 2016 and still would have lost 8 games. That has no bearing on his merit as a coach.

But hey, Scott Frost is 0-1 against Troy...clearly Troy's got the better coach.

Oh please, listening to you try to talk about logic is laughable.

 

[Cydkar]

You do understand regardless of where two coaches start, one cannot possibly be “better” than another coach that they play every year until they can beat the other coach, right?

Couldn't disagree more.

I also never said which one I thought was the better coach.

 

[Ree4]

It's much easier to improve a poor team than it is to improve and maintain an above average one.